 | IT Happens : September 2001
Monthly News Notice of IT Happenings |  | | Issue - 3 |
The HP-Compaq merger
The small fish just gobbled up the big one. The HP-Compaq merger has created the largest PC Company. When global InfoTech giant Hewlett Packard announced its buying out its rival Compaq Computers for $25 billion the I.T. industry was stunned. In one shot, the combined entity became the world's number two I.T. company, next only to IBM. Closer home the biggest technology merger created the country's largest PC company worth a whopping Rs.3500 crore. The merger was perhaps bigger news for the Indian I.T. industry. (Source: H.T. Sep 01 Lucknow) Sun's appeal to public
Sun has called on consumers to demand that Microsoft should include the Java platform in their XP operating system. Sun also pronounced that consumers should demand PC vendors like Dell, Compaq, Gateway, IBM and HP to include the Java platform in their applications. This is the first time Sun has called on the public in its on going war on Microsoft. Meanwhile Sun is busy developing a new version of Java platform entirely targeted at Windows XP operating system. (Source: Developer 2.0 Sep 01) Robo Cup  Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science in association with Sony and SGI has sponsored the Robo Cup 2001, the first all Robot Soccer Match. Teams of Autonomous Robots played soccer against each other on a field size of a Ping Pong table. The competition featured wide categories with four legged Sony Robots, crawling and fighting for the ball with two legged humanoid Robots bumping into each other. (Sourcec: Developer 2.0 Sep 01) America Aftermath: Indian I.T. firms fear short-term setback
Due to bombing attacks on US, apprehensions are being raised on a possible setback to the multi million-dollar I.T. software exports market in India in the short term. I.T. software exports market in India is closely watching the developments.
However, industry exports are confident that India's I.T. advantage will still hold good and the events could actually favour India as an outsourcing center in the long run. "A commercial center has been attacked. Indian software companies will have to assess how many of their large 'Fortune 500' clients will be effected. In the short term some business might be disrupted as all resources are diverted towards rebuilding, but in the long run business might not been imputed," Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAIT) director Vinnie Mehta said. (Source: T.O.I. Sep 01 Lucknow) A new XP-rience
Experience matters. And this is what Microsoft is harping on this time. The company has changed its date-based naming scheme Office 97 and Office 2000 and instead used a shorter and spunkier XP for its latest version of Windows and office suit. Short for experience, XP symbolizes a richer and extended user experience that Windows and Office have to offer. And this, by embracing Web services that span a broad range of devices. (Source: Dataquest Sep 01) The Desi XP-series
After the global launch of office XP, Microsoft Corporation India unveiled its 'India special' version with Indian language support. The company extended the functionality of its entire office suite to 9 Indian languages - Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Konkani, Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Gujarati and Gurumukhi. The Indian languages versions will also have a proofing tool kit with spelling checker for all nine languages. These new typefaces for Hindi and one new typeface for Tamil were also unveiled with the product. Five online keyboards including transliteration keyboards for Hindi and Tamil are also its part. According to Microsoft, with Office XP Indian language support users can carry on document discussion, save passwords and create hyperlinks and web pages in Hindi. Additionally 500 special Hindi templates and an Indian clip art gallery with over 100 unique images have been created specially with this product. Furthermore, features like smart tags, task panes and calendars have also been made available in Indian Languages.
(Source: Dataquest, Sep 01)
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